buckley



(No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 1.

J. BUCKLE-Y. AU TOMATIG GAR COUPLING.

Patented Mar. 3, 1896.

(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

J. BUOKLEY. AUTOMATIO' GAR COUPLING.

No; 555,559. Patented Mar. 8, 1896.

Fig-5 coupling similar to the coupling on the first but in such a manneras to permit the rod to NITED STATES JEREMIAH BUOKLEY, OF NEW YORK, N.Y.

AUTOMATIC CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 555,559, dated March v3,1896. Application filed July 29, 1895. Serial No. 657,484. (No model.)

T0 at whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JEREMIAH BUoKLEY, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of the city, county, and State of New York, have inventedcertain new and useful Improvements in Devices for AutomaticallyCoupling Cars; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full andexact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a partof this specification.

This device embraces coupling and uncoupling and braking of cars. Thewhole of this work may be done by the engineer, who hascontrol of thetrain, all the brakes being applied at one time, and a man in chargewill relieve the engineer of much of the work. He can leave behind anypart of the train where there are none to be taken on. 1 My inventionrelates to the "coupling of trains of railway-cars and provides meansfor securing a plurality of cars together from one point without thenecessity of handling each coupling device.

My invention may be divided into three parts, one comprising means forholding two cars together by couplings, another comprising means to openand close said couplings froma predetermined pointsay the cab of theengine-and at the same time to connect the cars together by auxiliarycoupling or locking heads of a peculiar construction, each adapted tomeet the locking-head on the adjacent car in readiness to consummate theengagement or locking of the said heads by a movement instituted fromthe predetermined point on the train, and the third comprising means toapply brakes to the wheels of each car.

One embodiment of my invention may consist of a coupling pivoted to theunder side of the car and provided with a cam-shaped part, the couplinghaving a hooked end. On a second car, to which it is intended that theabove-named car shall be coupled, is also a car, but adapted to engagethe coupling on said car. To actuate the coupling I provide acoupler-rod extending the full length of each car and carried on theunder side of the same,

move longitudinally. Near the ends of the rod are means to operate thecoupling. Said means may consist of a yoke adapted to engage thecam-surface 0f the coupling, or may be substituted by other meansattaining the same end. These devices in themselves are extremelyconvenient and desirable,as independent means for applying the brakesmay be used; but I have devised means for applying the brakesautomatically, which may be put in operation simultaneously with theuncoupling of the cars or without uncoupling them. These means may beembodied in different ways, one being the moving of the coupling-rodlongitudinally, and as each individual coupling-rod is connected by itslockirig-head to the coupling-rod carried on the adjacent car, it willbe evident that the movement of the rod will apply the brakessimultaneouslyto all of the wheels in the train.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of two carsprovided with my invention, as seen from the bottom. Fig. 2 is a sideelevation, partly in section, of one of said cars on the line 2 z ofFig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detail view of the locking-heads and coupling. Fig.4 is a front elevation in section on the line y y of Fig. 5. Fig. 5 is abottom view of the hand-actuated mechanism. Figs. 6 and 7 are face viewsof the male and female heads.

To the under side of the car 1 is pivoted the coupling 2 by bolts 3 orotherwise, the coupling being formed with a semicylindrical cam 4 andwith a rearwardly-extending limb 5, which is held normally by the spring6 in a longitudinal position, the spring being coiled around a rod 7,secured to angle-pieces carried by the car. To the car are also securedthe standards 8, through which passes the coupling-rod 9, extending theentire length of each car, and is supported by the standards, in whichit may rock. Near each end of said rod is a yoke 10, which may besecured to the rod in any convenient manner and slides in theyoke-guides 11, which are carried by the car. One end of the yokeengages the camsurface 4 in such a manner that the coupling will bethrown laterally whenever the yoke moves longitudinally backward orforward, but if in the center of the semicylindrical cam will not effectthe coupling.

The coupling comprises a male and female lockling-head, the male head 12being at one end of the rod and the female head 13 at the other end. Theformer comprises two lateral detents 14 with ends turned at right anglesand a central post or guide 15, the end of the head proper beingcone-shaped. The female head is depressed and eone-shaped, with spiralways or openings 16 and with offsets 17, behind which the detents of themale head may engage.

The clutch mechanism comprises a cam-support 18, adapted to travel onguides 19, which are secured to the car. It carries the cams which havethe inclines 20 and straight slots 21, one on each side and pointing inopposite directions. In front of the opening or jaws of the cam is apivoted two-part clutch 22, carried by the car and adapted to embracethe coupler rod normally loosely. WVhen, however,the coupler-rod isreciprocated longitudinally, the cam-jaws embrace the clutch and drawits two members or parts together, whereby the coupler-rod will be heldsecurely and prevented from rocking.

The mechanism for applying the brakes may comprise a sleeve 23, providedwith an upwardly-projecting pin 24, adapted to travel in a slot in thetruck 25. The other end of the sleeve is flattened and provided with apin 26, on which may rock the swinging piece 27, the lower end of whichengages the brakebar 28, provided with shoes 29. The upper end of thepiece 27 is provided with two eyes through which the ends of thebrake-rods 31 project. These rods have stop-collars 32, pre venting themfrom sliding through the apertures or eyes. The opposite ends of therods are pivoted to the lever 33, which oscillate about the king-bolt 34of the truck. To one end of the oscillating lever is pivoted the link35, whose opposite end is secured to the yoke 10 in such a manner thatwhen the yoke is moved the oscillating lever is actuated. It is evidentthat when the latter is oscillated, be it backward or forward, one ofthe brakerods 31 will force the swinging piece so as to apply the brake.

For coupling or uncoupling the cars by hand I may make use of thefollowing devices, which have been illustrated separately for thepurpose of rendering their construction more apparent to the eye; but itwill be quite evident that the mechanism for coupling all the cars atonce from one point and the mechanism for coupling one car by hand mayreadily be united, the hand mechanism being lo cated on each car.

Between the coupler-head and the yoke and rigid on the coupler-rod theremay be located a circular rack 36, the teeth of which should besufficiently long to permit of longitudinal movement of the coupler-rod3above the coupler rod a level rack 37, carried by a bridge 38 spanningthe latch 2, a hand-brake 39 may be provided with a gear 40 engaging thestraight rack 41, secured to the side of the bridge 38, by means ofwhich the bridge may be moved transversely of the car and so rock thecoupler-rod.

Means for moving the coupler-rod longitudinally, and thereby uncouple orcouple together all the cars of a train at once, may

comprise a hand-lever 44, pivoted at 45 and projecting downwardlyunderneath the ear. Its lower end may be provided with jaws 46, adaptedto embrace a collar 47, rigidly carried by the coupling-rod 9. Thismechanism may be located in the cab of the engine or elsewhere on thetrain, and by its means the whole number of coupler-rods move, wherebythe couplings of the cars will be thrown out of engagementwith oneanother by the action of the yokes on the cams. The train will now beheld together by the locking-heads, and these will be separated one fromanother by the rocking of the coupler-rod. It will be evident from Figs.3, 6 and 7 that the pair of locking-heads will not be disengaged ifrotated in one direction, but that the act of opposite rotation willeffect the unlocking. This may be done from the cab of the engine or anyother point where means to accomplish this result may be located.

Means for approaching the male and female heads together by hand mayconsist also of a hand-brake 42, provided with a chain 43 secured to theyoke 10, by means of which, should it be necessary to couple two carstogether, the operation may be accomplished without the necessity ofhandling the coupler-rod directly.

Modifications of this embodiment may readily be made without departingfrom the spirit of my invention. I therefore desire not tobe restrictedto the exact form shown and described herein, as what I have shown anddescribed is but one embodiment and may be a preferred construction.

\Vhat I claim is- 1. In a device for coupling cars, the combination witha coupling pivoted to the car and provided with a cam, of a coupler-rodprovided with means for engaging said cam, and with looking heads,substantially as described.

2. In a device for coupling cars, the combination with a couplingpivoted to the car and provided with a cam, of a coupler-rod providedwith a locking-head at each extremity adapted to engage the'suitablelocking-head of a second car, substantially as described.

3. In a device for coupling ears, the combination of a car, acoupler-rod extending the length of the car, a male locking-head locatedon one end of said rod, a female locking-head located at the otherextremity, and a clutch to prevent the rocking of said rod, of a secondcar also provided with similar devices and adapted to coact with thefirst-named devices, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JEREMIAH BUCKLEY. lVitnesses:

J OHN G. FoLsoM, JOHN ENNIS.

